Technology Resources to Leverage

Looking around on public transport, it’s apparent that our phones are taking our attention away from the moment. Take the Ferry in Sydney from Manly to Circular Quay and you’ll enjoy one of the most exceptional transits to work anywhere in the world.

Alas, looking around you’ll notice people missing out. They’re busy checking email, scrolling through social media or reading the news. It seems the zombie apocalypse is upon us… our iPhone are eating out brains!

But let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. Our phones can afford us considerable levels of flexibility and productivity. Technology should be an enabler.

The trick is to develop productive technology habits. Encourage your team to apply technology disciplines and to get the most out of their phones.

Here are some applications that can help you enjoy greater productivity:

Reminders

If you sync your Outlook function to your phone, the tasks you’ve created in your task manager will be available from the reminders application on your phone. I use this to keep track of the magazine contributions I’ve committed to and their due date. If I’m sitting on public transport or on a plane, I’ll often go through my task list and action what I can.

Notes

The notes function in your phone is a handy way to capture ideas and information on the run. I use a hash tag for easy access later. For instance, I might get an idea of research I need to do for this book or an article. I’ll hash tag it according to the topic and the action required. E.g. #notesfunction #bookidea #researchtodo

Camera

Consider taking photographic evidence to remind you of things to do rather than writing them down. For instance, have you ever lost your car? Take a photo of the car park number. Have you ever written a shopping list and forgotten to take it with you? Photograph it, or better, write your shopping list in your notes function.

Wallet

The wallet function of your phone stores tickets, vouchers and other information. It’s a great tool for keeping boarding passes without having to print them.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great networking and business building tool. It’s handy to have on your phone, for instance to review the background of the people you’re meeting with prior to your appointment (including checking out photos prior so you recognise them).

Coach.me

This is a great application to help you change habits. You sign up to habits you’d like to commit to, and then you’re regularly reminded via notifications on your phone or by email to check-in to the application, tracking that you have completed each habit successfully.

Coach.me also gives you access to a global virtual community of people who are also committing to the same habit changes as you. You can ask questions of and offer advice to others.

Audible

I recommend Audible to anyone who is an auditory learner. Audible has helped me indulge my habit of reading a book per week, as I can listen to books while I’m at the gym, walking to work, or taking public transport.

It’s $15 per month, and as part of your subscription you receive a credit of one free book per month. Subsequent book purchases are also reasonably priced. The platform is owned by Amazon and there are thousands of great titles available.

Podcasts

Podcasts provide a stellar opportunity to tap into the strategies used by experts in your field and other disciplines. Two of my favourites include:

The Four-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss deconstructs world class performers using a long interview format.

Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner explores a wide range of topics which relate to everyday life through an economic lens. It’s educational, thought provoking and fun.

MyFitnessPal

Research has shown a correlation between logging what you eat and your ability to achieve your health and fitness goals.

MyFitnessPal offers free and paid versions and syncs in with data gathered from wearable technologies and other applications.

Banking applications

Besides having ready access to your bank account, most banking applications will provide you with information about where your nearest automatic teller machine is, and should you lose your card, some banks provide you with the ability to withdraw money without it by sending you unique codes via the application.

Headspace

Headspace comes highly recommended as an application to help you develop your meditation practice. Sign up to a 10-day challenge and listen to guided meditations to help develop this new habit.

iTranslate

iTranslate is an excellent application to help you communicate with people who don’t speak the same language as you. I’ve used it when I’ve been at a table of eight people, none of which shared knowledge of any language. It’s brilliant.

Duolingo

Duolingo is an excellent free resource to help you learn new languages. There are 20 languages available.

SMS

The protocol on SMS should be that it’s used to communicate urgent information you want the reader to open immediately. Don’t send an SMS at 10 pm at night communicating low value information. You’ll likely wake people up and you won’t make any friends by doing so.

Get in touch

Profusion Group consultants, coaches an facilitators are leaders in their field. We offer both recruitment services and executive search services.

If you’d like to work with our team to help you, your team or organisation achieve your goals get in touch.

Cheers,

Rod Jones

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